1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer and to a process unit and a toner box which can be mounted to and removed from the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A process unit of a laser printer has been proposed, in which a toner box is detachably mountable to the unit main body of the process unit.
In some developing unit, a toner box is detachably mountable to the case of the developing unit. The case of the developing unit is formed with an anti-slip-off guide groove. In the toner box, a lever is pivotably provided with respect to a spindle which projects transversely from both right and left sides thereof and rotates a rotary vane, and an engaging projection is disposed at the substrate of the lever through which the spindle is passed. In the developing unit, a toner box is attached to the case of the developing unit, and the lever is pivoted about the spindle to fit an engaging projection into the anti-slipping guide groove, so that the lever and the toner box cannot come off from the case of the developing unit and the attached state of the toner box in the case of the developing unit can be maintained.
In the developing unit, the engaging position of the engaging projection of the toner box with the anti-slip-off guide groove of the case of the developing unit is located on both right and left sides of the toner box, but not located on the downstream side in the detaching direction of the toner box from the case of the developing unit. In other words, there are no restrictions on the relative movement of the toner box attached in the case of the developing unit, in relation to the case of the developing unit on the downstream side in the detaching direction in relation to the toner box.
Therefore, the attached state of the toner box in the case of the developing unit may not be reliably maintained when a force is applied to the toner box to move the toner box in the detaching direction.